Burning Through Cannabis, Stress, and Biphasic Dose Response

I had occasion to observe two interesting phenomena of cannabis consumption in the last 24 hours. Neither one was particularly new to me, but it occurred to me that I may not have explicitly described or explained them in the past, so I thought they might help someone understand a bit more about how cannabis can work in the body.

The first was on Sunday. Father’s Day is always somewhat stressful for me, due to passive-aggressive (and sometimes flat-out deliberately antagonistic) behavior on the part of my eldest son. So I always make sure I use plenty of my favorite all-purpose anti-anxiety medicine, and I used way more than usual Sunday, anticipating some serious stress. I did experience things I could have gotten upset about, but I managed to get through it pretty well.

In any case, it was quite a long day, and it was a full 10 hours before I felt anything from this hefty (for me) dose, and at least 6 hours after all the drama had been over! I thought it was an excellent example of the principle that even a strong psychoactive dose of cannabis can be “burned through” without feeling it. Our hypothesis is that its power goes towards fighting your stress rather than activating your brain’s receptors somehow, but naturally we have no idea how this might actually work. If you think this is too unscientific, feel free to propose an alternate hypothesis, but by all means, make sure to explain how a 6-hour edible dose lasts for 10 hours and isn’t felt until the end!

And then today (I’m writing this Monday evening), I decided to try some crumble from a new strain, and it gave me a headache. I’ve only had this happen to me once before (ironically with the Headband strain), and that time there was no “cure” other than to never smoke, vape, or eat it again. This time, it happened that I had recently written a section in my book about the biphasic dose response curves of both THC and CBD, which means that they both can cause entirely different effects depending on whether you consume a lot or a little. Well, I had already vaped, so I couldn’t have less, but I could certainly try more. And as it turned out, more was the answer, my headache went away, and all was right with the world!

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About Old Hippie

http://gplus.to/OldHippie
Old Hippie is a father of two boys and thankfully living in California where all this kind of thing is legal. He started smoking marijuana in 1967 in high school, experimented with mind-expanding drugs of all kinds, and then straightened out 15 or so years later to become an airplane pilot. After being diagnosed with depression in 2000, he lost his job and most of the following decade to prescription medications (such as antidepressants) which sapped his energy and will. Finally, a chance conversation with a friend led to a doctor’s recommendation for medical marijuana (MMJ). This changed his entire life, health, and outlook for the better.
BeyondChronic.com is his continuing story. It’s also his way to provide experienced advice on using medical marijuana effectively and responsibly, as well as advocacy, activism, and support for others. Old Hippie teaches about safe use of cannabis edibles, Canna Caps, vaporizers, dosing, and even microdosing.
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4 comments

Interesting that you mention these two phenomena. I’ve experienced them as well and they’re always a learning experience if you’re paying attention. Cannabis is a truly wonderful plant. Thanks for sharing!

I’ve experienced similar things and more. I long ago came to the conclusion that medical consumption of cannabis is very complicated and definitely something that you continue to learn. And the only way is to try, try and try again. That’s hard to explain to someone new who approaches it for specific medical benefits.

Also, different batches/strains are so different that it’s always an adventure. Even stranger, a strain that I enjoy for a while will become less enjoyable with time, and require a switch to another strain for a period of time. And some strains are simply to be avoided, but it’s more batch than strain often times.

That’s the biggest reason I stopped growing my own. An 1/8th is about as much as I want of one batch before changing it up. And that’s with different morning and evening strains. Edibles are never fun for me, despite trying my best to enjoy them. A portable vape in my pocket is the ultimate.

Bottom line, weed isn’t a thing but rather a journey. I clearly see familiar themes in your posts that resonate with me. Despite a wealth of experience, weed can still surprise you and be a mystery. Despite some frustration, I think this is a good thing.

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